Pangilinan: Clark safe from storms, floods

CLARK FREEPORT -- Businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan cited Clark’s location in hosting a national center for disaster monitoring operations.

Pangilinan said Clark’s backdrop of hills and high elevation make itself safe from onslaughts of severe tropical storms and floods.

The area is also known for its well-paved and wide road network, including the access to the Subic seaport through the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

“The NOC (in Clark) shall serve as pre-disaster warning center and post disaster rehab center. Basically the NOC will oversee (monitoring) potential threats,” Pangilinan told media.

Pangilinan also cited the advantages of Clark Freeport in hosting the NOC.

“Clark is readily accessible. It has an airport and not thickly populated. And I don’t think there’s an earthquake fault there,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan also thanked Clark authorities for the use of existing building that will house the NOC.

“The CDC, (Clark Development Corporation) through Art Tugade, its head, has kindly agreed to use certain property in Clark,” he added.

CDC officials had designated a building inside the Clark Polytechnic Compound that would be converted to become the NOC.

The government corporation would also serve as a partner agency in the private-sector led disaster mitigation and rehabilitation initiative. Already, CDC has assigned point persons who would help in the establishment of the NOC.

Pangilinan said the initiative of the private sector would establish “close linkage” with the government like the NDRRMC.

“The NOC is the nerve center. We need them (government). Like if we are to send Meralco trucks to Tacloban, we would need government for ships. If we are to send relief goods, we would need the air force,” he said.

“It is supposed to coordinate the private sector initiatives in this type of disaster warning and at same time coordinate with government,” he added.

Pangilinan said that disaster operations center will play a great role in coordinating efforts to mitigate impact of disasters and conduct organized rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

The NOC will be put up by Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation where Pangilinan serves as one of the three co-chairmen.

The other co chairs include Jaime Augusto Zobel De Ayala of Ayala Corporation and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

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